Yieldable coupling.



w. w. LAFLAM E. 'YIELDABLE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2. 1917 1,275,568 Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

WALTER w. LAFLAME, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

V YIELDABLE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented Aug; 13,1918,

Application filed June 12, 1917. Serial No. 174,252.

T 0 all whomc't may concern:

Be. it known that I, WALTER l/V. LAFLAME, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Yieldable Cou expansion and contraction under unusual tension or relaxation. The invention therefore has for its object to provide a simple, strong and readily operable coupling or connection for the purpose set forth, which being spring controlled, will yield under tension and when released therefrom will contract and return to normal size.

A further object of the invention is to provide a resiliently expansible coupling or connection, which for convenience of description will be hereinafter called an eX- pansive buckle, or simply a buckle, which being made of few parts and principally of sheet metal cut and stamped to shape, may be manufactured at relatively small cost, and thus enable the device to' be placed on the market at a reasonable price.

With the above as the principal objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front viewof the improved coupling or expansion buckle;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the interior structure of the buckle, one side of the casing being removed;

Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional View on line H of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation showing the buckle in expanded position and provided with a modified form of connecting links;

Fig. 6 is a face View of the view used as a yielding coupling for suspenders with modified connecting links; v

Fig. 7 is an edge view of the device of Fig. 6;

, Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of one ofthe connecting links of-the preferred form, and

Figs. 10 and 11 are detail views of a modified connecting link.

In the drawing, 15 lndicates a casing that forms the body of the expansion buckle and is made of two plates 16 and 17 of equal size, circular or of any other desired shape, with their edges bent to form narrow flanges 18 and 19 perpendicular to the plates. lVhen assembled, the edges of the flanges bear upon and rotate against each other,

being connected by apintle 20, rivetedor.

otherwise connected at one end 21 to the center of one of the plates, as 17. The plate 16 is rotatably mounted on the opposite end of the pintle 21 and retained, in place thereon by a flat exterior head 22.

The plates 16 and 17 with their flanges form. a thin chamber 23 within which is placed a flat spiralspring 24, the inner end of which is inserted in a perforation in the vpintle 2() the outer end being attached to a pin 25, projecting from the casing plate 16 rota table about said pintle.

Projecting radially from diametrically opposite sides of flange 18 of casing 15 are lugs 26, integral with the flanges, and each having a perforation therethrough for the pivotal attachment of a link 27 The links are shaped to lie close against the edge or flanges of casing 15, and to extend in opposite directions about one fourth way around the periphery thereof. Similar lugs 28 project from the casing flange 19 and to them are pivoted links 29 of like shape to links 27 and similarly placed about the edge of the casing. When the buckle is not under tension, the lugs 26 and 28 at opposite sides of the casing are held in mutual contact by the spring 2 1 while the link 27 29 of each pair of links pivoted to said lugs have their opposite ends in close relation and are pivoted to a loop 30 or other form of connecting means on the end of a belt or strap 31.

The links 27, 29 may be made in various ways, the preferred form being that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 9. This link has a knuckle 32 on one end for pivotal connection with a loop 30 and an eye 33 on its opposite end to connect with a lug 26 or 28. The link is curved, as shown, to fit closely the edge of the casing, but may be of other shape if necessary to lie close to a casing of other than circular or elliptical outline. The eyes 33 enable the links to swing toward the flat sides of the casing and assume positions at various angles to the plane of the casing, a convenience when the article on which the buckle is attached is placed about a circular body, as with a belt or garter.

In Figs. 5, 10 and 11, the link 3% is pressed from sheet metal and is of channel shape in cross section, the two ends 35 being alike for pivotal connection with a lug and a loop. Figs. 6 and 7 show a link 36 similar in outline to that just described, but made solid instead of being channeled.

The loop in Figs. 1 and 5 is elongated with an elongated opening 37 therein for the attachment of a strap and on one edge of said loop at the center are two projecting lugs 38 for connection to links 27, 29. One or both loops 30 on each buckle may if desired be circular or of other shape, or one of them may be substituted for a hookoi any well known shape, or for a small plate 40 on which is pivoted a slide, &1 through which passes a cord 42, such as is commonly used on suspenders.

In use, the normal position of the buckle is shown in Fig. 1, but when the belt or strap 31 is subjected to excess strain or pressure, the links 27, 29 pull the lugs 26, 28 laterally away from each other and cause the two parts of the casing 15 to turn in opposite directions about their common axis, the spring 24 being tightened by this movement. The parts will finally be drawn into the position illustrated in Fig. 5. When relieved of strain, the spring 24 returns the parts to normal position.

I claim:

In a device of the character described, a pair of circular plates pivotally connected together, each having a flanged marginal edge, said flanges contacting and forming an inclosed chamber, a pintle fixed to one of said plates androtatable relatively to the other plate, a spiral. spring in said chamber surrounding said pintle and connected at one end to the same, the other end being connected to the relatively rotatable plate, a pair of lugs, diametrically disposed on the exterior of each of said plates, opposite mem bers for attachment of tensioning devices, a link pivoted to each lug on one of said plates and to each tension member, and like links pivoted to the lugs on the other plate and to the same tension members, for rotating said plates in opposite directions and tightemng said spring, said links being curved in the direction of their length to conform to the circular contour of the plates.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WVALTER W. LAFLAME.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

